07 Jan 2019
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a remnant, aura of love, back to normal, bear fruit, Behold, bills, boasts, captures my heart, Christians, confidence, enthusiasm, eternal life, evil, faith, faithfulness, foolish souls, friends, glorious kingdom, God's promises, grace, holy spirit, hope, humble servants, I am the Lord, idle talk, in the dumps, invincible, is anything too hard for me, Jesus, jobs, joy, lies, LOVE, mercy, mince words, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, never leave nor forsake us, not afraid, omnipotence, pay the consequences, peace, rejuvenation of spirit, relaxation, renewed vitality, rest, salvation, spiritual armour, steadfast faith, stellar attributes, take root, the God of all flesh, the Lord of hosts, trust, ungodly world, wiles, wisdom, zeal of the Lord
Jeremiah 32:27. Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh: is there anything too hard for me?
And then it was Monday – the last first day of this new year! Hn! And everything is back to normal now! No more holidays and exorbitant festivities. Now we have to go back to work five days a week and wait anxiously for all the Christmas and New Year’s bills to come in, wondering where we going to get the money from to pay them? And to make matters worse, we still tired from all that holiday activity!
Yes friends, it’s a hard life yes! (smile) But it’s either we live on what we make, or we pay the consequences later! However enough preaching; I know you want some consolation rather than me pushing you deeper in the dumps, so let’s go to our tried and true Monday Morning Battle Hymn and invoke the Lord’s grace and mercy on our poor, sinful and oftimes foolish souls.
Altogether now, like we believe it: ‘Oh Lord God Almighty, Creator of the universe and all therein! We, your humble servants, praise your Holy Name and thank you that this Monday morning we have jobs to go to; jobs we don’t like, jobs that are unfair, difficult and even dangerous, but which serve a useful purpose here on earth; keeping lives and families together.
We also thank you Father for the renewed vitality and enthusiasm you’ve wrought in our weary souls over the last two days. It’s that rejuvenation of Spirit which allows us now to sally forth with confidence into the evil, ungodly world that surrounds us, to begin a new week of work, constantly buffeted and bombarded by the enemy’s wicked taunts, wiles and lies.
But heavenly Father, we’re not afraid, for we know we’re invincible, sure conquerors, once we’re wearing your powerful, protective spiritual armour. We surrender our all to you, and humbly ask that you let your incredible aura of LOVE, the Holy Spirit, lead and guide all your servants as we go out to meet the enemy in battle.
Fill us with steadfast faith, so that we can make worthwhile inroads into the enemy’s ranks, and thereby further your glorious kingdom. We pray this in the Holy Name of your Son, and our Saviour, Jesus Christ. AMEN!’
Yes mih people, yes! That’s our great and wonderful God for you! I know your problems haven’t all just disappeared, but I’m sure that you now have the power and confidence to confidently handle them, because the Spirit of our Lord has risen up inside of you and given you the strength you so badly need! Bless His Holy Name friends, and exalt it to the ends of the earth! For He is the ONE who gives us life, and allows us to get health and wealth and all the other good things we enjoy!
So why should we not praise Him and give Him enormous thanks eh? No reason whatsoever my faithful brethren! Now let’s look at some scriptures which reinforce the great might, strength and power of our God; His omnipotence! And we’ll begin with some words from Jeremiah’s prayer after he bought the field. (Jer. 32:1-15)
‘Now when I had delivered the evidence of the purchase (deed) unto Baruch the son of Neriah, I prayed unto the Lord, saying, Ah Lord God! behold, thou hast made the heaven and the earth by thy great power and stretched out arm, and there is nothing too hard (difficult) for thee.’ (Jer.32:16-17) And Jeremiah continued listing all of God’s great doings and attributes.
But what I like is how our God doesn’t mince words or is ashamed of His power. Here’s how He answered Jeremiah’s prayer: ‘Then came the word of the Lord unto Jeremiah, saying, Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh: is there anything too hard for me?’ (Jer.32:26-27) Yes friends, our God does proudly acknowledge His might and power. And so should we, because we’ve seen it in operation all down through the ages.
Now here is another tidbit of scripture that captures my heart. Remember when Isaiah declared the prophecy of Jesus birth: ‘For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given…The Prince of peace.’ (Is.9:6) Now at the end of the next verse this boast is made:’ The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.’ (Is.9:7b)
And did He ever my people! He sent His only son Jesus to die for us and provide us a way out of total darkness into the light of His salvation and eternal life! Now why wouldn’t I put my trust and hope and faith in Him eh? Again, no reason whatsoever, since He’s shown that He is indeed capable of doing whatever He says! His boasts are not idle talk, but sure reality, stuff that we can confidently base our lives on!
And again, when Judah was about to be besieged by Sennacherib of the Assyrians, He sent Isaiah to him with this promise: ‘And the remnant that is escaped of the house of Judah shall again take root downward, and bear fruit upward: For out of Jerusalem shall go forth a remnant, and they that escape out of mount Zion: the zeal of the Lord of hosts shall do this.’ (Is.37:31-32)
And it did happen; whenever Jerusalem was captured or destroyed, a remnant always rose up – to facilitate the coming of Jesus and the prophecy of the Lord’s word. Even today, there is a remnant in Israel!
Yes my faithful brethren, there is omnipotence in our God; there’s nothing He can’t do, so let’s keep putting our hope, faith and trust in Him, for He has also promised never to leave or forsake us, and He keeps His word, even to the thousandth generation! Much LOVE!
…omnipotence and faithfulness…are only two of our God’s…many great and stellar attributes…
04 Jan 2019
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a wheelchair, ask the Lord for help, baptism, baptizing, believers, body of Christ, Christ's word, Christian knowledge, do better, doctor's appointments, drain me, education, effective service, evangelism, evil, feeling the feelings, Friday chant, fun, generous help, go ye therefore, God's objectives, him who sent me, humility, I am always with you, I have commanded you, identification with Christ, Lord and Saviour, make disciples of, nature of the human animal, New Year's celebration, no man can work, no spring chicken, observe all things, party, party as hearty, relaxation, rest, rough consequences, sincerity, teach all nations, TGIF!, Thank God is Friday, the church, the good news, the Great Commission, the Holy Ghost, the name of the Father, the night comes, the SON, the weekend, there is a way, to the end of the world, upheaval, week of work, where there is a will, while it is day, work the works, workingman's song
Matthew 28:19. Go ye therefore, and teach (make disciples of) all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
And then it was the first Friday in the new year; a day every working person was just dying to see, because it was a harbinger of the weekend and they so badly wanted to rest their tired bones, flesh and spirits after all the New Year’s celebrations! Ah mih people, the doctor’s appointments business in the big city have begun again yes. But I’m not sure that I’m keeping this one this morning nuh…
Chuh! The ole fella didn’t sleep well last night and is walking around this morning like an ole fogey. (smile) Easy mih first born easy…(smile) She’s already warned me not to cancel any appointments, but she’s not the one feeling the feelings, nor has to trek umpteen miles in the cold and traffic to hear a doctor say: ‘Oh, everything’s healing well. Just keep on doing what you’re doing!’ And I don’t believe that the duchess is too thrilled having to drive me either. But we’ll see how it shakes out after I’m done with the Bit.
And nobody is more thrilled than the ordinary workingman to see this day as he so enthusiastically informs us: ‘TGIF! Thank God is Friday oui! I couldn’t work another day even if mih life depended on it! Brother! Them Christmas and New Year’s festivities really drain me yes! Ah guess is time to realize that ah not as young as I used to be…in other words, no spring chicken, so I can’t afford to party as hearty and not feel the resulting rough consequences. Hn, hn! But where there is a will there is a way.
So watch me, come this year Christmas and New Year’s Eve nuh! Ah going to start getting mihself ready from early o’clock…because who want to miss them fantastic celebrations, sitting down like some ole man in a wheelchair and kyar move and go round the place and eat and drink up other people stuff eh? Not me for sure nuh! So thank God for Fridays and weekends yes, that enable me to renew mih soul and body, so that I could get out and party! Party, party, party…!’
Yes mih breddren, it never ceases to amaze me, how we can be so kind and gracious for a couple of weeks, then go right back to the disgusting living we practiced before. But I guess that’s just nature of the human animal. However, since it’s Friday, we need to let our Christian voice be heard in our Friday Chant. It’s not as ebullient and mind chasing as the workingman’s song, but it sure fits our purposes admirably.
So altogether now: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through another week of work! It hasn’t been easy, but with your generous help, I made it through. Now, please help me to get sufficient fun, fellowship, rest and relaxation in these two short days off, so that I can be renewed and refreshed in soul, body and mind, to go back out and do it all over again next week, furthering your glorious kingdom with each step I take. I pray this in Jesus name. Amen!’
Yeh, it’s not spectacular, but it helps keep us out of the enemy’s reach, and doing Jesus’ work. And that’s the most important aspect of our lives, doing Jesus’ bidding! Remember His last words to the disciples, in what we term, ‘the Great Commission’?
‘Go ye therefore, and teach (make disciples of) all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.’ (Matt. 28:19-20)
There you have it friends, the imperative from our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ! Ours is to spread the good news of His Word around the world, to all and sundry. And note, He assured us, that He would be with us all the time we’re doing His will. What an awesome Saviour we have my brethren! Always thinking of us and our welfare!
And the scholars give us this explanation: ‘28:19. The controlling purpose of the local church is to make disciples of all kinds of people. Those who are evangelized and converted should then be baptized, attesting to their identification with Christ and the local body of believers. The final phase of the Great Commission is to train disciples in Christian knowledge and for effective service. A church cannot choose one aspect of its responsibility and neglect the others.
The Great Commission is a simple command with three steps – evangelism, baptism, and education. Illustration: The Great Commission is the strategy by which the church at Jerusalem saturated its community with the gospel. Application: Every Christian should determine that his ministry for Christ in the church upholds God’s objectives for that institution. (First Ref. Matt.16:18; Primary Ref. Matt.28:19; cf. Phil.1:27).’
Yes friends, our job is to let the heathen know about Christ, and all the wonderful things He has to offer to those who come to Him in humility and sincerity. And each and every Christian has a part to play in this transformation! The question that now faces us, is whether we’re doing what Jesus requires of us, and if we’re doing it to the best of our ability?
And it’s obvious that as the body of Christ, the church, we’re not doing such a great job, otherwise our world wouldn’t be in such a state of upheaval and evil. So I’d like to invite each of us to sit down and seriously ponder our current role in Christ’s church, and then ask the Lord to help us do better, for we can ALL do better. Much LOVE!
…I must work the works of him who sent me…while it is day…the night cometh…when no man can work… (John 9:4)
24 Dec 2018
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a fallen world, a new heart, a new lease on life, another option, anxious, aura of love, be careful for nothing, be made known to God, benefits, birth of Christ, bless the Lord, by prayer, care, christmas eve, compassion, confidence, contrite hearts, crowns thee, enthusiasm, eternal life, evil, forget not all his benefits, forgives iniquities, friends, glorious kingdom, glory hallelujah, God is faithful, heals diseases, heavenly Father, holy spirit, hope, humble servants, humbly, in everything, invincible, Jesus, joy, just desserts, keep your hearts and minds, let your requests, lies, LOVE, loving-kindness, mercy, momentous, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, our benefit, outstanding occasion, passeth all understanding, peace, redeemeth thy life, rejuvenation of spirit, relaxation, renewed vitality, rest, righteousness., salvation, satisfies thy mouth, sincere communication, spirits lifted, spiritual armour, steadfast faith, supplication, tender mercies, thanksgiving, the annals of man, the God of our salvation, the peace of God, the real McCoy, the reason for the season, trust, truth, under the weather, ungodly world, wisdom, words of wisdom
Philippians 4:6. Be careful (anxious) for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.
And then it was Monday…Christmas Eve friends, Christmas Eve! The day before we celebrate the birth of our wonderful Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! What a momentous footnote…no, it was too big a day to be a mere footnote, but one of the most outstanding days in the annals of man!
Praise the Lord for His goodness and LOVING-kindness to the undeserving children of men! Yes, bless His Holy Name, for without that compassion and care we’d be still lost in the darkness and evil of a fallen world. But thanks be to Jesus we have another beautiful option; believing in Him and thus obtaining salvation and eternal life!
Wow! The ole fella’s on a roll this morning! That’s why I can say that God is faithful and LOVE Him so much, because when I came down here just now I had no idea what I was going to write, but as you can see, I’m doing fairly well! (smile) But it’s Christmas Eve and many of us still have stuff to buy and preparations to make for the big day, the real McCoy tomorrow. And unfortunately some of us have to go to work too after preparing and also enjoying some of the goodness of the season over the weekend.
So as always, some of us are under the weather, so let’s do as we always do on a Monday, join together to sing our Monday Morning Battle Hymn which always lifts our spirits and encourages to keep on walking steadfastly with the Lord. All together now, with as much enthusiasm as we can garner!
‘Oh Lord God Almighty, Creator of the universe and all therein! We, your humble servants, praise your Holy Name and thank you that this Monday morning we have jobs to go to; jobs we don’t like, jobs that are unfair, difficult and even dangerous, but which serve a useful purpose here on earth; keeping lives and families together.
We also thank you Father for the renewed vitality and enthusiasm you’ve wrought in our weary souls over the last two days. It’s that rejuvenation of Spirit which allows us now to sally forth with confidence into the evil, ungodly world that surrounds us, to begin a new week of work, constantly buffeted and bombarded by the enemy’s wicked taunts, wiles and lies.
But heavenly Father, we’re not afraid, for we know we’re invincible, sure conquerors, once we’re wearing your powerful, protective spiritual armour. We surrender our all to you, and humbly ask that you let your incredible aura of LOVE, the Holy Spirit, lead and guide all your servants as we go out to meet the enemy in battle.
Fill us with steadfast faith, so that we can make worthwhile inroads into the enemy’s ranks, and thereby further your glorious kingdom. We pray this in the Holy Name of your Son, and our Saviour, Jesus Christ. AMEN!’
Oh my, oh my! I don’t know about you nuh friends, but my spirits were certainly lifted! Brother, there’s nothing in this world great like prayer nuh! That’s why we’re advised to use it constantly by Bruh Paul. ‘Be careful (anxious) for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.’
What exceptional words of wisdom those are my believing brethren! It’s the basic reason why God made prayer and set such a high value on it; so that we can communicate thoroughly and properly with Him! ‘And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep (guard) your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.’ (Phil.4:7)
Oh mih people, yuh see the great benefit that accrues from having serious and sincere communication with our heavenly Father? Peace! Wonderful peace! A heavenly peace! Peace that surpasses what our finite minds can comprehend! And please remember, it’s ALL for OUR benefit, not the Lord’s. As Bruh David says in Psalm 68: ‘Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits, even the God of our salvation.’ (Ps.68:19)
And he again reminds us in Psalm 103: ‘Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits: Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases; Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with LOVING-kindness and tender mercies; who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle’s.’ (Ps.103:2-5)
Mama Yo! What a great God we serve and worship my brethren! No other supposed deity does those things for His people! Only the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, can even DO those things, because HE IS THE ONE AND ONLY TRUE GOD! As we said in our prayer above, ‘the Creator of the universe and all therein!’ Give Him much thanks and praise my people!
So please remember that when He desires us to come to Him humbly, with contrite hearts, in sincere prayer, with appreciation for His wonderful goodness to us, He’s not asking for too much, but simply His just desserts. And then again, it’s because He wants to bless us, to be involved in our earthly affairs, for who knows better than Him, how to run lives eh? NOBODY!
So let’s cool it nuh, get wise, and don’t take so much umbrage when our Creator wants to be a big part, or rather the FIRST PART of our lives! That’s His prerogative…and we should be glad and thankful that He even wants to have anything to do with us, the sinful ingrates that we truly are! It just shows His true LOVE and compassion for His most precious creation!
Oh mih people, let’s hope this Bit excites you all the way it excited me while writing it! (smile) It’s not only for you, but also for me! And this one touches me. (smile) Please have a blessed Christmas Eve…and remember the reason for the season…Jesus Christ! Much LOVE!
…God’s given me a new heart for Christmas…la la la la…God’s given me a new lease on life for Christmas…what else can I desire eh…Glory Hallelujah…Bless His holy Name…
21 Dec 2018
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: all about Christ, assurance, bacchanalian, black cake, black yuh up, carols, chow chow, Christ, Christian faith, Christmas, compassions, Controleer of the universe, excesses of the world, fellowship, Friday chant, fun, furthering your glorious kingdom, generous help, ginger beer, Happy Holidays, have no fear, his compassions fail not, home made bread, hope, in God's time, in Jesus' name, keep Christ in Christmas, Merry Christmas, Parang, pepper sauce, rain, relaxation, rest, saints, salvation, sincere thanks, snow, sorrel, TGIF!, Thank God is Friday, the alco strong, the Lord is my portion, the Lord's mercies, the soul that seeks him, the workingman's song, trials, tribulations, wait, we are not consumed, week of work
Lamentations 3:22. It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not.
Aye mih people, it’s a brand new day with new mercies, LOVE, forgiveness, blessings and all the other good things that our magnanimous and ever-LOVING God showers down on us each and every single day! Glory be! Give Him much thanks and praise for His enduring goodness and LOVING-kindness to the undeserving children of men! Yes friends, is our God ever good to us!
And would you believe that with only four days – not four shopping days (smile) to Christmas that we have rain in our area and not the crazy white stuff called snow! I’m surely grateful for that, although the skiers and other snow people won’t be thrilled.
Sorry people, but the Controller of the universe apparently feels for rain right now, not snow, and consequently there’s nothing we can do about it! But have no fear, we will get our fair share of the white stuff…in God’s time, that is!
And the workingman has not forgotten us in these most celebratory times. Hear him sing his song: ‘TGIF! Thank God is Friday – the weekend! And only four days till Christmas too! Oh how we going to make merry and celebrate Christmas…but I already doing that yes!
I eating mih home made bread with ham flavoured with chow chow an’ pepper sauce! Brother does that ever taste good! Nice heavy bread with substance, not them light fluffy chupidness they sell in the bakery an’ call them bread!
Then ah washing it down with sweet sorrel or ginger beer…an’ black cake and ice cream for dessert. Yuh smell how the alco strong in the cake? If yuh eat too much it soon black yuh up yes! (smile) And all we doing is going round to other people’s houses, singing carols and sweet parang music, an’ eating and drinking up all their Christmas goodies! Oh Christmas is such a wonderful time! Thank God for Fridays, weekends and Christmas oui!’
Yeh friends, Christmas is indeed a wonderful time, and all the celebrating is good, but it should not be paramount in our lives. The birth of our Lord and Saviour is what should hold first place in our lives this Christmas season, for it’s the very reason for the season! Without the birth of Christ, there’d be no Christmas!
So why have we allowed that fact to be obscured by the foolishness of the man made festivities eh, where shopping and other bacchanalian activities seem to be honoured above the birth of our Saviour? Yuh can’t even say ‘Merry Christmas’ to some people! All they want to hear is the foolishness bout ‘Happy Holidays!’ What holiday is it eh? CHRISTMAS! So say it loud and proud: ‘MERRY CHRISTMAS!’
And forget the nonsensical watering down of the time when our God gave us His greatest gift ever: that of the birth of His only Son Jesus Christ, so that He would grow and show us the Father, and eventually die on the cross at Calvary to atone for our heinous and abominable sins! Brother! How can we not celebrate and give oodles of sincere thanks for such wonderful occurrences eh?
My Christian brethren, please let’s not fall into the enemy’s trap of considering Christmas as more of a worldly time than it is eh. It’s ALL ABOUT CHRIST! So please let’s keep the CHRIST in CHRISTMAS! Keep it first place, like we ought to keep God first place in our overall lives! End of sermon! (smile)
And I’ve talked so much about keeping Christ in Christmas that I almost forgot about our Friday Chant. Hn! So please let’s chant it up now with the same enthusiasm that the workingman placed in his song. Altogether now: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through another week of work! It hasn’t been easy, but with your generous help, I made it through.
Now, please help me to get sufficient fun, fellowship, rest and relaxation in these two short days off, so that I can be renewed and refreshed in soul, body and mind, to go back out and do it all over again next week, furthering your glorious kingdom with each step I take. I pray this in Jesus name. Amen!’
Ah friends, it’s not as worldly as the workingman’s song, but it serves our purposes rather admirably; keeping us away from the excesses of the world, and more in line with the straight and narrow path that’s Christ desire for His people. That finally brings us to our Bit; a most wonderful piece of encouraging and reassuring scripture: ‘It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not.’
And is that the gospel truth or what my faithful brethren! If it wasn’t for the Lord’s compassionate heart and intense care for us, we’d be long burnt up like the noonday sun burns up the dry grass! That’s why we need to take our Christian faith more seriously than many of us are doing. But hear how poor Jeremiah continues as he laments over his trials and tribulations nuh.
‘They (the Lord’s mercies) are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness. The Lord is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him. The Lord is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him. It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord.’ (Lam.3:23-26)
Oh my people, those are indeed words of eternal wisdom! If we sincerely believe in God, then we have to HOPE and WAIT for His timing and dispensation! Nothing else makes any sense. And if you don’t believe me, then listen to the scholars’ explanation of that last section. ‘3:26. Jeremiah’s observation resembles those of other saints who have expressed great grief of soul (Hab. 2:20; 3:17-19; cf. Job 40:3-5; Ps.37:7; 73:23-27; Is.26:3; 2 Cor.1:7; 2 Thess.3:5).’
Yuh see friends, even though the great saints suffered trials and tribulations, and more than most of us do nowadays too, they all felt the assurance of hoping in and waiting for God. And I just looked up all those scriptures the scholars noted, and they are indeed interesting and inspiring stuff. So please look them up yourselves so that you too can be enthused and reassured! That’s the only sensible way to live this life my people! Much LOVE!
…ONLY because of Christ’s birth…is there Christmas…let’s remember that…and act accordingly…
17 Dec 2018
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a devout Jew, a pivotal role, a word to the wise, acclamations, against a stone, aura of love, bear thee up, Christians, confidence, dash thy foot, deceptions, enthusiasm, evil, faith, fear not, followers of Jesus, friends, fulfill the Old Testament, glorious kingdom, glory hallelujah, God is a refuge and fortress, God spoke the world into existence, God will supply all my needs, heavenly Father, holy spirit, hope, humble servants, I can do all things, in the image of God, in their hands, invincible, Jesus Christ, lead us astray, lift you up, LOVE, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, peace, power of prayer, power of words, rejuvenation of spirit, relaxation, renewed vitality, riches in glory, salvation, Satan, spiritual armour, steadfast faith, strike thy foot, sufficient, the Son of God, this is the day the Lord has made, through Christ who strengthens me, tricks, trust, truth, ungodly world, up his sleeve, we will rejoice and be glad in it, wisdom
Psalm 91:12. They shall bear thee up (lift you up) in their hands, lest thou dash (strike) thy foot against a stone.
Ah mih fellow believers in and followers of Jesus Christ, another Monday has dawned on us and many of us are, or were not ready to handle it. But as our Lord and Saviour said so often to His disciples in His earthly sojourn, ‘Fear NOT!’ Yes, we need not fear because He has given us the two most powerful weapons on this earth, that of words and of prayer!
Remember He spoke this great universe into existence, and since we’re made in His wonderful image, and have been granted total control of the entire universe, our words therefore contain great power. So let’s be wise and invoke some of them nuh, beginning with enabling declarations, powerful acclamations, encompassing His most faithful promises to us.
So please declare with me: ‘This is the day the Lord has made, we WILL rejoice and be glad in it!’ (Ps.118:24) ‘I can do ALL things through Christ who strengthens me!’ (Phil.4:13) ‘God will supply ALL my needs through His riches in glory, through Christ our Lord and Saviour!’ (Phil.4:19) ‘If God be for us, who can be against us eh?’ (Rom.8:31) Not a single soul mih people! Not a single evil soul has power over us unless we allow them to! That alone should boost our spirits!
And this last one that just confirms everything else: ‘And the God of all grace, who has called me to His eternal glory in Christ, after I have suffered a little while, will Himself restore me and make me strong, firm and steadfast.’ (1 Pet.5:10) Oh Glory to God my faithful brethren! The same omnipotent power that has allowed some ‘sufferation’ in our lives, is the same tower of grace, mercy and forgiveness who will eventually bring us out of it all and reward us with the glory of heaven, through His magnificent Son, Jesus Christ, who is the author and finisher of ALL things! Wowee, Wowee! (smile)
Now let’s invoke that other eternal gift, the power of prayer, by declaring our Monday Morning Battle Hymn in strong voice with sincere hearts. ‘Oh Lord God Almighty, Creator of the universe and all therein! We, your humble servants, praise your Holy Name and thank you that this Monday morning we have jobs to go to; jobs we don’t like, jobs that are unfair, difficult and even dangerous, but which serve a useful purpose here on earth; keeping lives and families together.
We also thank you Father for the renewed vitality and enthusiasm you’ve wrought in our weary souls over the last two days. It’s that rejuvenation of Spirit which allows us now to sally forth with confidence into the evil, ungodly world that surrounds us, to begin a new week of work, constantly buffeted and bombarded by the enemy’s wicked taunts, wiles and lies.
But heavenly Father, we’re not afraid, for we know we’re invincible, sure conquerors, once we’re wearing your powerful, protective spiritual armour. We surrender our all to you, and humbly ask that you let your incredible aura of LOVE, the Holy Spirit, lead and guide all your servants as we go out to meet the enemy in battle.
Fill us with steadfast faith, so that we can make worthwhile inroads into the enemy’s ranks, and thereby further your glorious kingdom. We pray this in the Holy Name of your Son, and our Saviour, Jesus Christ. AMEN!’
Oh friends, oh friends, our wonderful God will NEVER turn down such a heartfelt prayer request! And we know that’s true because we can now feel the adrenaline flowing through our bodies, as His Holy Spirit works His healing and enabling power in us! Give God the praise!
And friends, the most logical place to continue is with these enlightening and most encouraging words of the psalmist from Psalm 91 – God is a refuge and a fortress. ‘Because thou hast made the Lord, which is my refuge, even the Most High, thy habitation (dwelling place); There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling. For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways. They shall bear thee up (lift you up) in their hands, lest thou dash (strike) thy foot against a stone.’ (Ps.91:9-12)
And if you think our Bit isn’t important, just check out Matthew 4:6. Those are the very words Satan used to Jesus when he tried tempting Him to throw Himself off the temple roof. And don’t think that the prince of darkness doesn’t know the Good Book nuh; he knows it better than any of us! He knows how, why and when it was written because he plays a very pivotal role in it. And that’s why he has all those li’l tricks up his sleeve, why he can use the Word so deceptively to lead us astray.
So our best defense is to also know the word, so that when he comes to us with his lies, innuendoes and deceptions, we can wave him off like Jesus did, and contemptuously declare: ‘It is written, Man should not live by bread alone, but by every word that procedeth out of the mouth of God.’ (Matt.4:4) And friends, that wasn’t an original Jesus saying nuh, it was based on Moses’ words to the Israelites in Deuteronomy 8:3.
And the other two times Jesus rebuked Satan, His words were also based on the Old Testament (Deut. 6:16 and Deut.6:13, 10:20, Josh.24:14). So please don’t think that Jesus just came spouting new stuff. Remember He was a devout Jew and His purpose for coming to earth was to fulfill the words of the prophets written in the Old Testament. As He said, the Old Testament was written about Him, He saw Himself all over it. (smile)
So friends, as we run our earthly race, let’s remember how Jesus ran His nuh, and strive to be like Him. It’s the only way that makes sense. He didn’t have it easy either, but He placed ALL His hope and faith in His heavenly Father. And if the Son of God could do that, we mere mortals, born of dust, would be foolish to do otherwise. Much LOVE!
…a word to the wise is sufficient…
14 Dec 2018
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a virgin, a way with words, according to thy word, always helps us, baking, barren, best time of the year, billion dollar questions, blow me down, Boxing Day, Chjristmastime, Christ-like, Christian, Christmas all year round, Christmas songs, colourful, debt, Elisabeth, favour with God, fellowship, Friday chant, friends, fun, furthering God's kingdom, Gabriel, generous help, go to church, godliness, good tidings, Happy Holidays, have faith, hem and haw, hope, horrific, how high, how shall this be, Hugs, I know not a man, imaginative, internal appreciation, John the Baptist, joyfulness, jump, kisses, lights, LOVE, makes a true difference, Mary, mature answer, Merry Christmas, more than we can bear, nice to people, outward affection, peace, pleasant greetings, preposterous situation, relaxation, renewed and refeshed, rest, said Mary, shopping, singing, soapbox, sober enough, sour like a lime, spiel, TGIF!, Thank God is Friday, the birth of Jesus, The Christmas season, the food and drink, the get go, the real reason, the very first time, unto the angel, week of work, what a wonderful world, workingman
Luke 1:34. Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man (I am a virgin)?
So it’s a tad wet, and cloudy and still a li’l snowy from yesterday…so what? What’s the big deal eh? It’s Friday, that’s all we’re concerned about! And Friday in the Christmas season to boot! That means plenty shopping, baking, cooking, singing Christmas songs, plenty lights on trees and all over the place, hugs and kisses a plenty, plus a whole lot of pleasant greetings like: ‘Merry Christmas!’ and ‘Happy Holidays!’ etc. etc.
But hopefully friends, underneath all that joyfulness, let’s hope the real reason for Christmas, the birth of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ surfaces and makes a true difference, not only in outward affection, but also through sincere internal appreciation and true godliness. Amen!
And there’s nobody singing louder and more joyfully than the ordinary workingman! He’s been on his soapbox from the beginning! ‘TGIF! Thank God is Friday in the Christmastime! Blow me down! Christmas is just around the corner! And I don’t care about the shopping and the gifts nuh…cause I have no money to buy any! But who want to put themselves in debt…let them go right ahead yes!
Me, I only concerned about the food and drink, and the nice time when we playing music, singing and dancing! I might even go to church for the Christmas…if I sober enough. Hn, hn, hn! But putting all joke aside, Christmas is the best time of the year oui: yuh see all yuh friends and family who you ent see for ages…and yuh nice to even the ones and them yuh doh like! Heh, heh!
Wish it could be Christmas all year round yes! And this year it going to have plenty holidays too, because Christmas and Boxing Day on a Tuesday and Wednesday. Mama Yo! Ah can’t wait to celebrate them two days off from the massa work nuh, where he have to pay we for not working! He face going to be sour like a lime! But thank God for Fridays, weekends and Christmas time oui!’
Ah mih people, the workingman does have a way with words and thoughts yes. But he does have a couple of good points, like we even nice to people we don’t like, and oh…if the atmosphere, not necessarily the festive aspect, but the peace and good tidings could be present in our awful society all year round…what a wonderful world this would be! But I guess that’s just wishful thinking. No reason though why we can’t hope for it and have faith that Jesus one day will provide it.
Anyway, let’s sing our weekend song nuh, our Friday Chant. It might not be as colourful and imaginative as the workingman’s but it does suit our Christ-like purposes admirably. As one now: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through another week of work! It hasn’t been easy, but with your generous help, I made it through.
Now, please help me to get sufficient fun, fellowship, rest and relaxation in these two short days off, so that I can be renewed and refreshed in soul, body and mind, to go back out and do it all over again next week, furthering your glorious kingdom with each step I take. I pray this in Jesus name. Amen!’
Yes my Christian brethren, we need to remember that even in our joyful times not to go too far out on the limb, to stay within the borders of rationality, so that we don’t open up ourselves to attacks from the enemy; physical, spiritual and emotional, because he’s just waiting like a beast of prey to attack us on any level he can.
But enough of all of that, let’s get back to one of the most wonderful stories ever told; that of the angel Gabriel informing Mary, Jesus’ future mother, of what was going to happen.
Remember yesterday Gabriel gave her the whole spiel about; ‘she’d found favour with God,’ she’d have a son. ‘His name would be JESUS,’ ‘called the Son of the Highest,’ ‘given the throne of his father David,’ ‘reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.’ (Luke 1:30-33)
Now how would any of us good, strong, mature Christian folk, in these modern times, react to that information eh? Either by laughing or being scared to death. But Mary didn’t even bat an eyelid. She merely asked a simple but very practical question to all that info: ‘Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man (I am a virgin)?’
Yeh friends, a very sensible and mature answer and question from a teenage girl in a backwater town in very ancient times! How could she get pregnant and bear a child without knowing a man eh? And though her faith seemed strong, she obviously hadn’t expected to be dealing with the Creator of the universe.
And in like fashion, the angel Gabriel gave Mary a simple and straightforward answer to her million…no billion-dollar question. That’s how expensive and controversial the situation would have been back then.
‘And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest (Most High) shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing (one) which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God. And behold, thy cousin (relative) Elisabeth (John the Baptist’s mother), she hath also conceived a son in her old age: and this is the sixth month with her, who was called barren. For with God nothing shall be impossible.’ (Luke 1:35-37)
Now friends, a lot of us spout that line, but how many of us really believe it and try to action it eh? Not very many! But hear Mary’s response to the whole contrary, mixed up situation: ‘And Mary said, Behold the handmaid (maidservant) of the Lord: be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her.’ (Luke 1:38)
Now that’s why I LOVE Mary! After Jesus, she’s my most favourite character in the Good Book. From the get go she was mature and faithful about the very preposterous situation. She didn’t hem and haw like so many of us would have done…even those of supposedly great faith. Even knowing the horrific situation those things would cause in her life, she said bring it on without a fuss.
Oh my people, my people, I sure hope we can use Mary as a shining example when the Lord calls us to do something that seems difficult and overwhelming. Remember He NEVER gives us more than we can bear, and ALWAYS helps us to complete the task. So there’s no need to be afraid or worried whenever He calls! Much LOVE!
…when the Lord says jump…it’s best to say…how high Lord…the very first time…
10 Dec 2018
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a word to the wise, Advocate, all knees must bow, all tongues declare, Amen, Amos, answer, aura of love, belief, bounden duty, children of Jacob, confidence, contentment, enthusiasm, evil, faith, fellowship, friends, God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob, heed, holy spirit, hope, house of Israel, humble servants, humility, invincible, Jesus Christ, jobs, joy, judgement, justice, King of Kings, lies, Lord of all, Lord of Lords, LOVE, meat and potatoes, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, not the hour, nuff said, peace, personified by, power of prayer, prayer, problem, reality, rejuvenation of spirit, relaxation, renewed vitality, rest, righteousness, salvation, seed of Abraham, seek ye the Lord, smell the coffee, solution, spiritual armour, steadfast faith, sufficient, the day, the kingdom of God, the Lord our god, the Lord's anger, the meek of the earth, trust, truth, ungodly world, wake up, waxing philosophical, wisdom, Zephaniah
Zephaniah 2:3. Seek ye the Lord, all ye meek of the earth, which have wrought his judgement (upheld his justice); seek righteousness, seek meekness (humility); it may be ye shall be hid in the day of the Lord’s anger.
And the revolving door revolves once more…and what does it open on …MONDAY! And the whole crowd goes wild, shouting: ‘Yay! It’s Monday once again! Time to go back out to work; to have a good time in this evil old world, witnessing for our Lord and Saviour, Leader and Field General, Jesus Christ, the King of Kings, and Lord of Lords, to whom all knees must bow and all tongues confess that He is indeed Lord of all, to the glory of our heavenly Father!
Wow mih breddren! What an opening on this chilly Monday morning in this Christmas season of 2018! (smile) And I know that’s not how it is with most of us, but that’s how it ought to be if we sincerely have Jesus in our lives and live those lives based on His wise advice. But since we are so imperfect, stubborn and ‘own way’ (smile) we will forever have problems getting ourselves together to go out and labour after having the short two days off on the weekend.
However, we have the solution and answer to that problem; it’s a li’l thing called prayer, in particular, one called our Monday Morning Battle Hymn! And believe me, it works wonders on mornings like these, lifting our spirits and helping us get ourselves together so that we can do our bounden duty, that which we spoke about in the opening passage.
Brother! What a way the ole fella waxing philosophical this morning. (smile) But enough of that philosophical stuff yes, it not getting us anywhere nuh. Instead, let’s delve into the reality of the situation, the meat and potatoes section and declare our Monday Morning Battle Hymn with how much ever enthusiasm we can muster.
Altogether now: ‘Oh Lord God Almighty, Creator of the universe and all therein! We, your humble servants, praise your Holy Name and thank you that this Monday morning we have jobs to go to; jobs we don’t like, jobs that are unfair, difficult and even dangerous, but which serve a useful purpose here on earth; keeping lives and families together.
We also thank you Father for the renewed vitality and enthusiasm you’ve wrought in our weary souls over the last two days. It’s that rejuvenation of Spirit which allows us now to sally forth with confidence into the evil, ungodly world that surrounds us, to begin a new week of work, constantly buffeted and bombarded by the enemy’s wicked taunts, wiles and lies.
But heavenly Father, we’re not afraid, for we know we’re invincible, sure conquerors, once we’re wearing your powerful, protective spiritual armour. We surrender our all to you, and humbly ask that you let your incredible aura of LOVE, the Holy Spirit, lead and guide all your servants as we go out to meet the enemy in battle.
Fill us with steadfast faith, so that we can make worthwhile inroads into the enemy’s ranks, and thereby further your glorious kingdom. We pray this in the Holy Name of your Son, and our Saviour, Jesus Christ. AMEN!’ And again we say… ‘AMEN!’ Yeh friends, one more ‘So let it be,’ just for good measure. (smile)
Oh, the power of prayer my people! It’s awesome! Yuh see how yuh demeanour just changed after sincerely invoking the name of Jesus, our heavenly Advocate, to the Father? A feeling of peace and contentment and joy just suddenly enveloped you as the Holy Spirit did its marvellous job on the advocacy of the Son, and the orders of the Father!
And it all comes about through hope, through faith, and through belief in the One and Only True God, He of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, as personified by His most wonderful Son, Jesus Christ! And yuh know what friends? In these last days, these difficult, evil and troubling times, I believe we need to find that One True God and hold on to Him for dear life, because things are not getting better, but worse.
And in a time like ours in Israel, the prophet Zephaniah had this dire warning for his deviant and defiant people, re the scope of divine justice. ‘Seek ye the Lord, all ye meek of the earth, which have wrought his judgement (upheld his justice); seek righteousness, seek meekness (humility); it may be ye shall be hid in the day of the Lord’s anger.’
My people, those are words we should heed with as much alacrity as possible, because we know neither the day nor the hour when calamity shall befall us individually, as well as the overall world. And believe me, it will because of the disgraceful, disgusting, ungodly manner in which we’re currently living.
Yeh friends, the Lord is indeed long-suffering, but that doesn’t mean we can get away with wilful disobedience for ever. At some time His patience will run out, as it did on several occasions with Israel, and we will pay a hefty price, just like they did.
The psalmist reminded Israel of the Lord’s good works on their behalf, and by extension on our behalf too. ‘Seek ye the Lord, and his strength: seek his face evermore. Remember the marvellous works that he hath done; his wonders, and the judgements of his mouth. O ye seed of Abraham his servant, ye children of Jacob his chosen. He is the Lord our God: his judgements are in all the earth.’ (Ps.105:4-8)
Yes my fellow believers, the Lord’s word and judgements are all over the earth, because the earth is His; He made it and still controls it, and nothing happens without His allowing it. So let’s wake up and smell the coffee nuh, be wise and write these words of Amos the prophet, spoken long ago on the Lord’s behalf, indelibly in our hearts, spirits and souls: ‘For thus saith the Lord unto the house of Israel, Seek ye me, and ye shall live.’ (Amos 5:4) Nuff said! A word to the wise is sufficient! Much LOVE!
…before anything else…seek ye first the kingdom of God…and His righteousness…
07 Dec 2018
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a comedy of errors, attention away from God, birth of Christ, black cake, cash registers, cast ye away, celebrations, centre-piece, chiding, conception, consternation, defile not, drinking, eating, every man, Ezekiel, fellowship, Friday chant, frivolous, fun, furthering God's kingdom, generous help, Ham, Happy Holidays, I am the Lord your God, idols, in Jesus' name, Israel, Jesus, jubilant, kaching, like no tomorrow, mating call, Merry Christmas, piqued my interest, pomp, pride, rebellious people, relaxation, rest, shopping party, singing carols, siren, sweet Christmas music, taken aback, TGIF! Thank God is Friday, the abomination of his eyes, the best eats, the Good Book, the Lord's wrath, the lure, the ordinary workingman, the real world, the reason for the season, the waters flow, trappings, untenable situation, West Indian delicacies
Ezekiel 20:7. Then said I unto them, Cast ye away every man the abomination of his eyes (which are before his eyes), and defile not yourselves with the idols of Egypt: I am the Lord your God.
And then it was Friday…a whole comedy of errors! The sun’s shining brightly, but I’m tired and listless… Why? Because I never truly got to bed until six o’clock this morning. I did something I haven’t done in ages; read a book through the night! Bubba! It was good, though I’m paying for it now. I went to bed around 12.30, woke up about two, and I’ve had this book on my small Kobo e-reader that I usually only use for doctor’s appointments and such, because it’s small and easy to carry around.
But a few days ago I began this book and it piqued my interest, and I’ve been wanting to finish it ever since. So when I got up around two a.m to go the bathroom and feeling fresh, I just couldn’t resist the lure and the incessant mating call of the book siren. (smile) So I sat on the edge of my bed and just read until it was done. And I wasn’t disappointed either. Imagine my consternation though, when I looked at the clock and saw five fifty five. Hn, hn!
Then when I got up just now, I thought I saw the clock saying 8 o’clock…so I thought fine. I’m okay. But just after making my coffee, I happened to look at the clock on the stove and saw it saying after nine. Obviously I was taken aback, and had to look at the clock on the microwave to confirm that it was really after nine. So obviously the Bit will be late… And that’s my story… And I’m sticking to it! (smile)
But out there in the real world all the working people are smiling and jubilant, hugging and kissing and wishing each other Merry Christmas, not Happy Holidays, as they write their Christmas lists or get to the stores to fill them! And there’s none more jubilant than the ordinary workingman as he sings his Friday song:
‘TGIF! Thank God is Friday…and Christmas is on the way! The merchants will be smiling as their cash registers go …kaching…kaching! But I’ll be enjoying the best part of the season; eating and drinking and singing carols! Let them spend up the money that they don’t have on gifts and all the other trappings!
Me, I’ll just be taking it easy, karaying mih body as the sweet Christmas music washes over me, and the waters flow like there was no tomorrow! And the eats! Mama Yo! Christmas holidays have the best eats ever; the black cake and the big Christmas ham and all them other fine West Indian delicacies! Brother! I’m I ever thankful for Fridays and weekends, especially at Christmas time! That is the bestest!’
And I do have to agree with the workingman; Christmas time is the best time in terms of eats as well as celebrations. But please, let’s not forget the real reason for Christmas; the miraculous conception and virgin birth of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ!
That’s what Christmas is supposed to be all about, although, like everything else we’ve turned it into one big shopping party and half of us don’t even know or remember the real reason for the supposed Christmas Holiday! Chuh Poole! That’s my own statement of disgust at that untenable situation!
Anyway, our Friday Chant might not be as frivolous and celebration tinged as the workingman’s song, but it’s what we need to keep us on the straight and narrow. So let’s chant up a storm nuh, just like the workingman did. Altogether now: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through another week of work! It hasn’t been easy, but with your generous help, I made it through.
Now, please help me to get sufficient fun, fellowship, rest and relaxation in these two short days off, so that I can be renewed and refreshed in soul, body and mind, to go back out and do it all over again next week, furthering your glorious kingdom with each step I take. I pray this in Jesus name. Amen!’
And not having a Bit for the day, I just opened the Good Book unto an interesting piece of scripture; the prophet Ezekiel chiding the rebellious people of Israel in the Lord’s name. ‘Then said I unto them, Cast ye away every man the abomination of his eyes (which are before his eyes), and defile not yourselves with the idols of Egypt: I am the Lord your God.’
Oh my people, I believe the Lord is saying the same thing to us today, re all the idols we’re focused upon, especially in this festive Christmas season. Remember, whatever takes our attention away from God is an idol!
And you can’t doubt the fact that at Christmas time when we’re supposed to be wrapped up in the glorious birth of Christ, most of us are more wrapped up in the trappings and gift buying and the holiday time than that most auspicious occasion, the sacred birth of Jesus Christ, God’s greatest gift to man!
And the sad part is that many of our homes don’t have the aura of Christ floating around as we prepare for this special occasion. Nothing’s wrong with all the celebrations and festivities, but please friends, please, I implore us, let’s put the horse before the cart nuh, let’s make Jesus the centre-piece of our Christmas activity, as it ought to be, so that we don’t incur the Lord’s wrath!
Don’t fool yuh fat nuh, that wrath WILL come eventually, if we keep up the idol worship! The Lord might be long-suffering, but certainly not for ever! Much LOVE!
…remember…Jesus IS the reason…for the Christmas season…let’s acknowledge it…with plenty pomp and pride nuh…
03 Dec 2018
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a solitary place, adversaries, all flesh, almighty god, antidote, ask in prayer, aura of love, be anxious for nothing, believing, come unto thee, confidence, confidently, cry out, declare our needs, departed, direct communication, enthusiasm, ever-Loving, evil, faith, friends, give myself, glorious kingdom, glory hallelujah, grace, guard your hearts and minds, holy spirit, hope, humble servants, iniquities, invincible, Jesus Christ, joy, lies, LOVE, merciful God, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, passes all understanding, peace, prevail, rejuvenation of spirit, relaxation, renewed vitality, rest, salvation, sins, spiritual armour, steadfast faith, supplications, temptations, thanskgiving, the peace of God, the Son of God, the throne of grace, thou that hearest prayer, to heaven, transgressions, trust, truth, ungodly world, unhappy disposition, vicissitudes of life, wisdom
Psalm 65:2. O thou that hearest prayer, unto thee shall all flesh come.
Enough friends, enough with the steupsing and the sad, tired, unhappy disposition just because it’s Monday and you have to go to work. Like all else, and like it does every week, Monday will pass, it will morph into Tuesday and you won’t even realize it.
So I don’t see why we have to get ourselves in such a dither every week when Monday rolls around. Some of us have been working for umpteen years, and every Monday morning we have the same negative response.
Chuh man! Is time to stop that now, don’t you think? All that doing is wasting yuh time and tying you up in unnecessary knots, making yuh life more complicated than necessary. But all I can do is talk, and if that is the way you choose to live your life, then who am I to say you nay eh?
This I can do though; invite you to pray with me every Monday morning, trill up our Monday Morning Battle Hymn to heaven; a sure antidote for whatever ails you.
Just think about this nuh: yesterday the day dawned cold and rainy, but by lunchtime the skies were blue and the sun shining. That same change, from sad and blue, to bright and sunny, can take place in your system if you join with us to cry out to heaven. So altogether now, let’s come confidently before the throne of grace, and declare our needs, to an ever-LOVING, kind and merciful God.
‘Oh Lord God Almighty, Creator of the universe and all therein! We, your humble servants, praise your Holy Name and thank you that this Monday morning we have jobs to go to; jobs we don’t like, jobs that are unfair, difficult and even dangerous, but which serve a useful purpose here on earth; keeping lives and families together.
We also thank you Father for the renewed vitality and enthusiasm you’ve wrought in our weary souls over the last two days. It’s that rejuvenation of Spirit which allows us now to sally forth with confidence into the evil, ungodly world that surrounds us, to begin a new week of work, constantly buffeted and bombarded by the enemy’s wicked taunts, wiles and lies.
But heavenly Father, we’re not afraid, for we know we’re invincible, sure conquerors, once we’re wearing your powerful, protective spiritual armour. We surrender our all to you, and humbly ask that you let your incredible aura of LOVE, the Holy Spirit, lead and guide all your servants as we go out to meet the enemy in battle.
Fill us with steadfast faith, so that we can make worthwhile inroads into the enemy’s ranks, and thereby further your glorious kingdom. We pray this in the Holy Name of your Son, and our Saviour, Jesus Christ. AMEN!’
Glory be mih people! I can see the light in your eyes, the confidence in your body language, all saying that you’re ready now to go out and do battle for and with our Field General, Jesus Christ! Wow! Isn’t it great what prayer can do for us? And it should make a difference, because it’s the most powerful tool cum weapon in the universe! It’s God’s explosive answer to the pretensions of the enemy!
And today we just going to look at some scriptures that deal with or simply show the importance of prayer, starting with our Bit, the treasured words of Bruh David. ‘O thou that hearest prayer, unto thee shall all flesh come.’ What wisdom my people! And that is what we just finished doing, which means we wise.
And why do we come to the Lord in prayer? Partly as Bruh David says in the next verse: ‘Iniquities prevail against me: as for our transgressions, thou shalt purge them away.’ (Ps.65:3) Yeh friends, when temptations, sins and all the vicissitudes of life come against us, our ONLY hope is Almighty God! Please NEVER forget that!
And as Bruh David says later on: ‘For my (in return for my) LOVE they are my adversaries: but I give myself unto prayer.’ (Ps.109:5) Prayer should always be our first response to ANY and ALL situations my fellow believers!
Now listen to Jesus’ advice on the subject: ‘And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.’ (Matt.21:11) Yeh friends, you can’t just pray willy nilly, or without conviction, but your prayers must rise up with strong belief that they will be favourable answered.
And just to show that Jesus, the awesome and august Son of God, practiced what he preached, listen to these words of Mark. ‘And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he (Jesus) went out, and departed in a solitary (deserted) place, and there prayed.’ (Mark 1:35)
Now that verse shows two things; (1) Jesus prayed earnestly and persistently before making important decisions, (2) He began each day with prayer. Now if the Son of God thought those things were ever so important, who are we mere mortals, to think otherwise eh?
And we going to make the Bit short today (smile), so we’ll end with these wise, encouraging words of Bruh Paul to the Philippians. ‘Be careful (anxious) for nothing; but in EVERY THING by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep (guard) your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.’ (Phil.4:6-7)
So there you have it friends; prayer, our greatest tool in this life, but it must be accompanied by belief, and also with thanksgiving to have the utmost power. So let’s get powerful today by praying thus nuh! Much LOVE!
…prayer…direct communication with Almighty God…what could be better eh…NOTHING…
30 Nov 2018
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a good attitude, Aldwin Roberts, another week of work, Bacchanalian behaviour, be saved, believers, best fruit, black cake, blessings, call upon his name, Christmas, come home to Jesus, Controller, Creator, declare his doings, destructive behaviour, diligence, draw water, enlightening, eternal life, eternal separation, exalt His name, excellence, far out on the limb, fearful, follow God's will, food, Friday chant, fun, furthering God's kingdom, generous help, get moving, get up, ginger beer, God is my salvation, God's mercies, Ham, heavenly Father, idle, in all the earth, inhabitant of Zion, interesting, Isaiah, Jesus Christ, laze about, Lord and Saviour, Lord Kitchener, Moses, most dangerous place, my song, my strength, not be afraid, options, over the boundary, Parang, pastelle, paymee, plenteous, ponchacrema, Praise the Lord, quiet, rejoice and be glad in it, relaxation, rest, safely through, saints, salvation, send forth labourers, sinners, sorrell, spreading God's holy word, sweetbread, TGIF!, Thank God is Friday, thanksgiving, the Good Book, the harvest, the Holy One of Israel, The Israelites, the Lord Jehovah, the lost, the Red Sea, the waters, the workingman, this is the day the Lord has made, Trini style, trust, we time, weekends, with joy, witness, word of caution, work to do
Isaiah 12:2. Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: for the Lord Jehovah is my strength and my song; he also is become my salvation.
Greetings and salutations my believing brethren from our great God Jehovah, our heavenly Father, Creator and Controller of this amazing universe and all therein! And He has one message for us this somewhat dark and gloomy Friday morning: ‘I have made you see the light of another day, because I have work on earth for you to do. So please do it with a good attitude. And if you follow my will, you will see the blessings that accrue to you and yours!’
What a message friends! We have two options; to either do God’s work with excellence and diligence, or to laze about in idle and destructive behaviour. In other words, what the Lord’s saying to us is ‘This is the day that I have made, please rejoice and be glad in it!’ And we’d be extremely foolish to do otherwise!
But neither do we have to go to the extreme that the workingman does in his Friday song. ‘TGIF! Thank God is Friday oui! It looks dark and miserable and dreary, like it going to snow. But snow can’t stop we from enjoying we time off on this weekend…especially with Christmas coming soon! Brother! Just imagine how the waters and the food going to flow nuh…all the pastelle and paymee…the sweetbread, the ham and the black cake…with sweet parang ringing out in the Christmas air…
Bubba! Yuh can’t beat a Trini Christmas at all nuh! And wherever we go, we carry it with we! Oh, and doh forget the Ponchacrema nuh. Like Kitchy use to sing in cold England: “Mama Yo…Drink a rum and a ponchacrema…drink a rum…it’s Christmas morning…drink a rum…” So this cold snowy weather not going to stop we from celebrating Trini style nuh. Not on yuh life brother! That’s why we does always say, ‘Thank God for Fridays and weekends yes, because that is we time! Glory be!’
But is true friends, yuh really can’t beat a West Indian style Christmas nuh…and Oh Lord, ah forget the sorrel and the ginger beer! How could I commit such a crime eh? (smile) That’s because it have so much things going on at Christmas time in the West Indies.
And a word of enlightenment here: ‘Ponchacrema is really ‘punch de crème’. ‘A potent brew made at Christmas time, consisting of eggs, milk, rum or brandy, bitters and crushed ice swizzled vigorously.’ And ‘Kitchy’ is the late Lord Kitchener, real name Aldwin Roberts (1922-2000), the ‘Grand Master of Calypso.’ And that was one of his first big hits in the fifties when he lived in England.
But another word of caution here; although the workingman’s heart is in his song, we believers are not advised to go so far out on the limb. Granted some of the best fruit might be out at the end of the limb, but out there is also the most dangerous place because the limb is thinnest there and the possibility of it breaking on us as we reach for that sweet, succulent fruit at the end is much greater than if we stay somewhere in the middle.
All of that simply means that that kind of bacchanalian behaviour is an open invitation for the enemy to invade our souls and secure an impregnable foothold. And that’s something we don’t ever want to happen mih people! Therefore, our Friday Chant is somewhat more toned down than the workingman’s weekend song. Please chant it with me now, in strong voice, with sincere hearts:
‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through another week of work! It hasn’t been easy, but with your generous help, I made it through. Now, please help me to get sufficient fun, fellowship, rest and relaxation in these two short days off, so that I can be renewed and refreshed in soul, body and mind, to go back out and do it all over again next week, furthering your glorious kingdom with each step I take. I pray this in Jesus name. Amen.’
Yes friends, it’s necessary that we have fun and relaxation too, but not the over the boundary kind, because our Leader, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ isn’t in favour of it and it spoils our witness for Him. And I’m chuckling here, because I got so caught up in the workingman’s song that I have no idea of what our Bit’s going to be. But soon come, going to check the Good Book.
Back in less than a minute, per the Lord’s favour. Opened the Good Book right on it. (smile) Give Him much thanks my brethren! Now hear this most appropriate scripture from the prophet Isaiah re thanksgiving for God’s mercies: ‘Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: for the Lord Jehovah is my strength and my song; he also is become my salvation.
Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation. And in that day shall ye say, Praise the Lord, call upon his name, declare his doings (deeds) among the people, make mention that his name is exalted. Sing unto the Lord; for he hath done excellent things: this is known in all the earth. Cry out and shout, thou inhabitant of Zion: for great is the Holy One of Israel in the midst of thee.’ (Is.12:2-6)
Oh my brethren that reflects the same things that the Israelites prayed under Moses when they crossed over the Red Sea. (Exodus 15) And they are all true! That means we too should be crying out the Lord’s praise and thanksgiving because we are enjoying His earthly blessings with the promise of salvation and eternal life in the near future.
So why are we supposed believers so quiet and fearful in this evil world eh? It’s time for us to get up and get moving, let the world know what Jesus has done for ALL of us, and give them the chance to get to know Him too. That’s the job the Lord had for us at the beginning of today’s writing; spreading His Holy word and bringing people to His Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, so that they won’t suffer the torment of eternal separation from Jehovah God.
So let’s get with it nuh my people. There’s not that much time left and there’s much work to do. As Jesus so rightly said so long ago, and it’s still so appropriate today: ‘The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few; Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest.’ (Matt.9:37-39) Yeh friends, we need plenty of us to go out there and help the lost be saved and come home to Jesus. Much LOVE!
…in a world of so many sinners…there are comparably…only a few saints to witness to them…
P.S. Yeh friends, I know it’s sorta late and long, but it’s certainly interesting and enlightening! (smile)
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